Virtus Bologna inflicted a record defeat on AS Monaco Basket in Round 2 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Virtus Bologna learned from Round 1 lessons, held onto big lead 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna showed that it is a team of quick learners in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, as the Italian club never wavered in a [59-83 blowout of AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/live-blog-as-monaco-basket-vs-virtus-bologna/). That triumph comes a week after caving in and losing two big leads on its home floor against Zalgiris Kaunas.

Last week, Virtus suffered after twice losing a 15-point lead – 40-25 and 63-58 – before falling 79-82 at home to Zalgiris in its season curtain-raiser.

### Not making the same mistake twice

Against Monaco, Virtus opened a 19-point lead late in the first half, but in the opening minutes of the second half Monaco had trimmed the gap to 10 points. Luca Banchi’s men responded with a couple of three-pointers and just minutes later the cushion swelled to 21 points. Monaco was never close to challenging the rest of the way.

AS Monaco-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Round 2  Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

“I feel happy and proud of my team,” said Toko Shengelia. “It was a great test and great challenge for us, especially coming off the game where we had the big lead and we blew it and lost the game at home. Coming out in the second half, our goal was not to make the same mistakes and keep consistency and continuity and the flow on offense.”

The Georgian forward expressed what everyone knows about Monaco: “With a team like Monaco, you can never expect anything because they can come back at any minute in the game. Our goal was to keep increasing the score step by step and not relax.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fi" dir="ltr">WIN WIN WIN ⚪️⚫️<br>Che partita, che vittoria 🔥🥵<br><br>🔢 Lundberg 14, Belinelli 13, Smith 12, Shengelia 12, Dobric 9, Hackett 8, Cordinier 6, Mickey 5, Dunston 2, Pajola 2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/8cCv5zHTvq">pic.twitter.com/8cCv5zHTvq</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1712906554632970574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Inflicting a record defeat on Monaco

Virtus did not relax and added Monaco’s woes, with the French side having scored 65 points in a Round 1 loss to Valencia Basket and now 59 against Virtus. Friday night’s 24-point home loss was also a new EuroLeague club record for Monaco, as it suffered its heaviest home defeat in the competition. Its previous record was 12 points, when it lost 67-79 against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the 2023 EuroLeague Playoffs.

It also tied Monaco’s second-worst loss in EuroLeague history, tying its 92-68 defeat at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade last season. Monaco's record loss was by 35 points, 104-69, against Maccabi in last year’s postseason.

“It was just our first win and I hope it gives everybody the proper confidence that we are working hard to become a solid team,” Virtus head coach Luca Banchi stated.

The Italian coach can definitely feel good about how his team responded. Less than a week after giving up two 15-point leads, Virtus showed the mental fortitude to blow out a Monaco side that just five months ago was playing at the EuroLeague Final Four.

More Virtus News

The Virtus Segafredo Bologna players hold up Achille Polonara's jersey after beating AS Monaco in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Italian side got its season back on track with an impressive win on the road at AS Monaco.

Virtus learned from Round 1 lessons, held onto big lead 

AS Monaco v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-10-13T17:00:00.000Z)

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories for Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. 

Round 2 individual highs: Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia, 13 rebounds

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

Round 2 MVP, Real Madrid forward [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/) had 22 points to lead all scorers in Round 2. Yabusele is also EuroLeague's top scorer after two games with 20.0 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz forward [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, more than any other player in Round 2. Sedekerskis leads the league in rebounds with 11.5 per game.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

Real's [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) dished 10 assists, the most this round. Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) leads the EuroLeague with 8.0 assists per game.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Two players had 4 steals in Round 2: [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) of FC Barcelona and [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) of Olympiacos Piraeus. Vesely and [Alex Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/) of Olympiacos top the steals charts after two rounds with 3.0 per game.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

[Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/) of Zalgiris Kaunas had 4 blocks in Round 2. Hayes, [Balsa Koprivica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/balsa-koprivica/011050/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/) of FC Bayern Munich lead all shot-blockers with 2.5 blocks per game this season.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

In Round 2 there were three double-doubles, with Sedekerskis collecting 11 points and 13 rebounds, Campazzo with 15 points and 10 assists, and ALBA Berlin center [Johannes Thiemann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-thiemann/003958/) posting 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Guerschon Yabusele ignited the offensive engines of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague defending champion Real Madrid in a resounding 80-103 road win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul to earn the MVP honor for Round 2. 

Round 2 MVP: Guerschon Yabusele, Real Madrid

[Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/) ignited the offensive engines of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague defending champion Real Madrid in a resounding 80-103 road win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul to earn the MVP honor for Round 2. Yabusele posted a career-high performance index rating of 39, which is also the highest by any EuroLeague player through two rounds this season.

Yabusele finished the game with 22 points while making 3 of 4 two-point shots, including his only miss, alongside perfect 3-for-3 three-point and 7-for-7 free-throw shooting. He also posted 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while drawing 4 personal fouls. Yabusele did most of that work in the first quarter, when he had 16 points and 5 rebounds. For Yabusele, who is in his fifth EuroLeague season and has 99 appearances in the competition, this is his second MVP of the Round honor.

Guerschon Yabusele ignited the offensive engines of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague defending champion Real Madrid in a resounding 80-103 road win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul to earn the MVP honor for Round 2. Yabusele posted a career-high performance index rating of 39, which is also the highest by any EuroLeague player through two rounds this season.

Guerschon Yabuesle | RS Round 2 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The two next best Round 2 performances came from Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade players, [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) and [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-nunnally/007400/). In a 62-88 road win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, LeDay had a 27 PIR after posting 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. Nunnally had a 26 PIR, collecting 17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and a steal.

Rounding out the list of this week's top performers are Real point guard [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) and FC Bayern Munich's [Leandro Bolmaro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/leandro-bolmaro/008985/), each with a PIR of 24. Campazzo had 15 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds, while Bolmaro had 19 points, 3 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in a road loss against Panathinaikos Athens.

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our second winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime! 

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 2 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our second winner in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Konstantinos Samartzidis beat everyone else in Round 2 with the team barcelona, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 238.85.

Konstantinos had the following lineup: team captain Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Lorenzo Brown of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Guerschon Yabusele of Real Madrid, Josh Nebo also of Maccabi and Nicolas Laprovittola of FC Barcelona as starters, Alex Abrines also of Barca as sixth man, Eli Ndiaye of Real, Michalis Lountzis of Olympiacos, Oriol Pauli of Barca and Dimitris Moraitis of Panathinaikos Athens as bench players, as well as Zeljko Obradovic of Partizan Mozzart Bet as head coach. The prize for finishing first in Round 2 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2024-25 season!

Round 1 winner Djordje Pavlovic stays as the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 425.75 points.

Trades are now open for Round 3. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first game in Round 3, Partizan  vs. Barca, is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, October 17 at 18:30 CET, and thus marks next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

Valencia Basket came out on top in some crucial areas down the stretch as it beat Fenerbahce Basketball 77-74 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Valencia Basket won the small details to overcome Fenerbahce 

During various stages of [Valencia Basket’s tussle with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/live-blog-valencia-basket-vs-fenerbahce-basketball/) on Friday night, it appeared that the home team would comfortably cruise home to victory.

Valencia was vastly superior in the first quarter as it raced into a 22-9 lead after 10 minutes, and kept pushing to hold a 36-21 edge shortly before halftime. Fenerbahce inevitably improved and tied it up at 45-45, but the home team was able to reset and stayed ahead, 58-53, after three quarters.

When the fourth quarter started with 5 straight points from Semi Ojeleye, Valencia had another double-digit margin and it looked as though the game was nearly over. But, again, Fenerbahce came back, steadily chipping away until Nigel Hayes-Davis struck to give the Turkish team its first lead, 68-69, with 3 minutes left.

And from then on, it was a slugfest.

We often hear coaches comment that ‘small details’ decide the outcome of close games in the final stages, and that was certainly the case in those final 3 minutes as Valencia won enough of the key battles to finally prevail.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">𝙑𝘼𝙈𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊 🧡🧡🧡<br>¡Cae otro coco en la Fonteta! <br><br>¡Que sean 2️⃣ de 2️⃣ en la <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>! 😍<br><br>🏆 J2 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a><a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 77<br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> 74<br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/pamesaceramica?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pamesaceramica</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qxcx8aIUxz">pic.twitter.com/Qxcx8aIUxz</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1712933318784692600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### The key moments in the latter stages

Firstly, the vital detail of making free throws, such as Damien Inglis coolly converting a three-point play. Then rebounding, as Brandon Davies grabbed a key board from Marko Guduric’s missed three-pointer.

Next, executing defensive plans, firstly forcing Fenerbahce into a shot clock violation as Scottie Wilbekin was perfectly double-teamed and left with nowhere to go as time expired. And then Davies showing the necessary discipline not to foul Wilbekin as he drove to score when the margin was 3 points.

A little bit of fortune always helps, too, such as Tyler Dorsey being ejected for a sideline violation as he attempted to stop Valencia from sending the ball inbounds, followed by Wilbekin missing a free throw which would have tied the game with 4 seconds left.

Valencia Basket-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Round 2 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Then, again, rebounding – demonstrated by Ojeleye as he grabbed the ball from Wilbekin’s miss. Next, again, free-throw shooting, as Ojeleye converted both his foul shots to make it a 3-point game.

And finally, there was another smile from Lady Fortune as Wilbekin’s half-court shot on the final buzzer, attempting to force overtime, went close – very close – but hit the rim and bounced out.

Close games are decided by small details? Yes, they are, and Valencia is 2-0 after winning enough of those on Friday night.

More Valencia News

Damien Inglis of Valencia Basket has possession of the ball during his team's game against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Executing down the stretch ensured that the hosts could advance to 2-0.

Valencia won the small details to overcome Fenerbahce 

Valencia Basket v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-10-13T18:30:00.000Z)

Alex Abrines and Nico Laprovittola stepped up in the closing stages as FC Barcelona beat Olympiacos B.C. 68-77 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Resourceful FC Barcelona overwhelmed Olympiacos B.C. in frantic finish

Olympiacos Piraeus came close to pulling off what would have amounted to a fairytale home win against FC Barcelona in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. However, the mighty visitors saved the best for last and prevailed 68-77 on the back of an 2-18 run in the last few minutes of a rip-roaring contest.

Few teams in the competition can boast such depth as Barcelona, which ground out the win against a shorthanded Olympiacos despite several of the Spanish team’s key players enduring a torrid evening. Willy Hernangomez, who stood out in the opening 91-74 home win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul with a game-high 18 points, was completely subdued by Olympiacos.

### Laprovittola and Abrines stepped up big

The former NBA stalwart finished scoreless in 17 minutes on the court and playmaker Tomas Satoransky did not shine either, managing just 5 points against an aggressive home defense. Jabari Parker scored a mere 3 points, but the dynamic duo of Nicolas Laprovittola and Alex Abrines stepped up to the plate, combining for 33 points on 8-of-12 shooting from three-point range.

Alex Abrines and Nico Laprovittola stepped up as FC Barcelona beat Olympiacos Piraeus 68-77 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Best scoring plays of Abrines, Laprovittola vs. Olympiacos

Laprovittola netted 17 points and Abrines added 16, cancelling out a valiant team effort by Olympiacos, which sorely missed the injured trio of Shaquielle McKissick, Luke Sikma and Nigel Williams-Goss. The game looked over as a contest when Barcelona engineered a 20-35 lead midway through the second quarter, but Olympiacos stormed back with aggressive defense to turn the tide and take a 66-59 lead.

Barcelona’s lethal three-point shooting had dried up in the second half after hitting 7-of-10 in the first, but the visitors showed their class when they needed to most. Satoransky ignited the final twist with a baseline triple, his only field goal of the game, paving the way for Laprovittola and Abrines to lead the charge which forced Olympiacos into submission.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">1, 2, 3… BARÇA 💙❤️ <a href="https://t.co/4J2VSQYzBx">pic.twitter.com/4J2VSQYzBx</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1712941117618999475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Thomas Walkup was the home team’s driving force with 14 points, having pulled all the strings on offense while he also ground Satoransky to halt at the other end, but Barca ultimately thrived on its long-range artillery as it finished on 15-of-26 from three-point territory.

“We had a very good first quarter on both offense and defense, having stopped their weapons and they have many,” Barca head coach Roger Grimau said during his post-game press conference.

“We played very well in the fourth down the stretch, when we overturned a seven-point deficit into a win. They punished us with the pick and roll but we were able to fix that and come out on top.”

### Coach Bartzokas's frustration

Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas, meanwhile, lamented the way in which his team allowed the likes of Abrines and Laprovittola to find their groove.

“It’s a bad start for us on home court this year; unfortunately, we didn’t control our emotions as we didn’t have the patience to follow the plan,” he commented. “Poor execution on offense and we also allowed good shooters like Abrines and Laprovittola to have a field day.

“When we were 7 points ahead, they responded with a pair of three-pointers, but I have to mention that our rotation was shorthanded today. Hopefully we will have all our injured players back soon, because it’s a tough schedule.”

More Olympiacos News

Alex Abrines and Nico Laprovittola embrace after FC Barcelona's win against Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Blaugrana had too much firepower for the injury-hit home side in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague classic which lived up to expectations.

Resourceful Barcelona overwhelmed Olympiacos in frantic finish

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Barcelona (2023-10-13T18:15:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna drained 16 three-pointers during its 59-83 win against AS Monaco Basket in Round 2 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Three-point record carried Virtus Bologna to big win at Monaco

Virtus Segafredo Bologna set a new club record during [its 59-83 win at AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/live-blog-as-monaco-basket-vs-virtus-bologna/) in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, as it knocked down 16 three-pointers.

The last time Virtus made 15 triples in a game, the leaders of the Italian team had names such as Manu Ginobili, Antoine Rigaudeau, Marko Jaric, Matjaz Smodis and Rashard Griffith. That was the 2000-01 season, and that group of players ended up winning the EuroLeague title.

Fast-forward 23 seasons and the record breakers have names like Jaleen Smith, Marco Belinelli, Iffe Lundberg, Ognjen Dobric, Toko Shengelia and Daniel Hackett, all of whom made at least 2 three-pointers in the blowout win.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna made a club-record 16 three-pointers during its 59-83 win at AS Monaco in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Virtus's 16 triples vs. Monaco

“It was a big win. Everybody participated, we played like a team. I am very proud of this team,” said Belinelli, who scored 13 points as one of four players with at least 12 points.

### Daniel Hackett set a record of his own

Hackett ended up with 8 points and set a EuroLeague record of his own. By scoring his 2,283rd point, Hackett became the record Italian scorer in EuroLeague history.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓮𝓵 𝓗𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓽𝓽 <br>Best 🇮🇹 scorer all time in <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/f2cTzhtRWa">pic.twitter.com/f2cTzhtRWa</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1712907510380630216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“This is the EuroLeague and every single night you face the best teams. You will suffer from every mistake. Tonight, for most of the game we were very solid and we deserved this win,” Virtus head coach Luca Banchi commented.

Virtus was hitting three-pointers all night and the Italian club was doing so in bunches, which helped it quickly build up a lead and demoralize its French hosts.

“Last year they played at the Final Four and they have individual players who can really play one on one and score a lot of points. So, it was a big win,” added Belinelli.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Per te Achille ❤️💪🏼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/iDc7TZcYPl">pic.twitter.com/iDc7TZcYPl</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1712909025417875676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### A vast improvement from deep

The win and the 16 three-pointers made came a week after losing at home and doing so while only making 8 triples and shooting 32.0% from deep. At Monaco, Virtus shot a blistering 51.6% from long range, going 16-of-31.

Not every game will be that productive from the outside, but Virtus will be well served knowing it can produce a performance like this.

Iffe Lundberg of Virtus Segafredo Bologna in possession of the ball under pressure from AS Monaco guard Elie Okobo during the two teams' Round 2 matchup in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Daniel Hackett also made history by becoming the leading Italian scorer in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history.

Three-point record carried Virtus to big win at Monaco

Arnas Butkevicius stepped up big down the home stretch as Zalgiris Kaunas beat KK Crvena Zvezda 79-74 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Arnas Butkevicius woke Zalgiris Kaunas up against KK Crvena Zvezda

The wait was over for thousands of Zalgiris Kaunas fans, who finally got to see their team play a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game in their home arena. Zalgiris last played a EuroLeague showdown at Zalgirio Arena in last season's playoffs, losing against FC Barcelona. A good number of them returned to the building to watch the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four, which was held in Kaunas for the first time.

Zalgiris was back in the building to face Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, 163 days after facing Barca in Game 3 of the 2023 playoffs. It was a back-and-forth battle in which the fans played a major role, as Zalgiris rallied to [beat its Serbian opponent 79-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/) to remain undefeated in this EuroLeague season.

"I'm happy for all the fans because I know they were waiting all the summer for Euroleague Basketball," team captain Edgaras Ulanovas said.

Zalgiris Kaunas-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | Round 2 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### Butkevicius came to the fore

Just as expected, it was not easy. Zvezda rallied from a double-digit lead to get the lead and kept full control for the majority of the game. It led 56-63 with under 6 minutes left when Arnas Butkevicius took the ball one-on-one against Milos Teodosic. Ulanovas offered a screen, Butkevicius spotted a small advantage and attacked the rim, dunking over Zvezda center Joel Bolomboy. The crowd erupted with joy and Zvezda coach Dusko Ivanovic quickly called a timeout.

"I think he woke up and our arena woke up after his dunk," Zalgiris coach Kazys Maksvytis said about Butkevicius's high-flying finish. "It was a wake-up call."

It definitely changed the game's momentum, as Zalgiris started to shoot the ball with more confidence. Butkevicius struck from downtown, then Brady Manek and Rolands Smits each added a triple to cap a 13-0 run that put Zalgiris ahead for good, 67-63. Zvezda still managed to get within 67-66, but Manek followed a dunk in traffic with another three-pointer to put Zalgiris on the right track to win the game.

Arnas Butkevicius and Brady Manek combined for 19 points in the final 7 minutes to lead Zalgiris Kaunas to a 79-74 home win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Butkevicius, Manek take over

Manek had 8 of his 9 points in the final 5 minutes, while Butkevicius had 11 of his 12 points in the final 7 minutes. Smits led Zalgiris with 18 points. Above all, Zalgiris fans had a happy return to Zalgirio Arena; their famous and unique pre-game show was back, their team won and they got to witness one of the best dunks of the season, one that ignited their teams' comeback.

"It's crazy. I had goosebumps!" Smiths said about Butkevicius's dunk. "I am happy for him!"

More Zalgiris News

Arnas Butkevicius of Zalgiris Kaunas dunks over Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade during the two teams' matchup in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The 30-year-old came up big for Zalgiris Kaunas in its 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague home opener.

Arnas Butkevicius woke Zalgiris up against Zvezda

Zalgiris Kaunas v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-10-13T17:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket advanced to 2-0 by holding off Fenerbahce Basketball 77-74 in a bruising battle at La Fonteta in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Valencia grinds out win against Fenerbahce, 77-74

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Brandon Davies of Valencia Basket shoots over Johnathan Motley of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul during the two teams' Round 2 matchup in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Spanish side is now 2-0 to start the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.